I haven’t posted in ages, but I just finished the Book of Mormon (whoot whoot!) and really wanted to write down my thoughts while reading Ether 6. It has been my favorite discovery while reading the BOM this time. Hopefully you can apply it to yourself as I have been able to do.

Let’s recap what’s happening before you read these verses…

The people of Jared are being led to a promised land. To get there, they have to cross the ocean. They build “tight” boats that only have a small hole at the top with a stop so the water doesn’t come in, but that allows them get air when they need it. They’re light source are from rocks that have been touched by the Lord. There is so much more to say about that, but that’s not the focus so we’ll just skip that amazingness.

Okay so you’re in a boat crossing the ocean with one hole at the top and some rocks for light. Let’s just imagine what that would be like…

Today has been an ordinary day. Wes woke me up early, we went on a walk, said goodbye to Joe, ate breakfast, got ready for the day, played, I taught voice lessons, and now he’s taking a nap. Things are happy and peaceful and it’s been a great day!

But as I just sat down to read my scriptures I didn’t feel in a very spiritual. So, I scrolled around on lds.org and found a wonderful video about prayer. As I watched it I felt the spirit and I felt a change in my attitude. My thoughts deepened. I thought of people who I needed to pray for. I thought of the Savior and of how I was using the Atonwment to improve. I realized that although the my day has been good, it has been very surface. Wes woke up early, so I didn’t say my morning prayers or read my scriptures when i first got up. Yes I’m reading my scriptures now, but I could have used this spiritual deepening before I started the day. If I had, would I have thought of someone to serve this morning when the time was right? Would I have had different conversations with my voice students that they or I truly needed? Would I have felt more Christlike love for the people around me?

Sometimes I feel weird talking about spiritual things with other people and I think it’s because I’m used to going about the day on the surface. When I have to suddenly dive deep I notice the change and I feel weird about it. But if I can learn to keep a depth of feeling and thinking, it won’t be such a change. I will also be more in tune with the spirit and be able to follow promptings.

Now I’m not saying I want to talk only of the gospel 24/7 or that I want to be constantly pondering, I’m much to light hearted for that… But I would love to be a little more grounded each day- thinking of others, thinking of the Savior, and ready to share my love for the gospel.

I have been a MAJOR slacker at blogging lately. However I just finished the Book of Mormon and have decided to blog as I read it this next time through. I love the Book of Mormon so much. I have probably read it a dozen times now, but each time I read it I am influenced in a different way.

Blogging as I read is completelya selfish pursuit . It helps me to look for specific themes and ways to relate what I’m reading to my life. I hope and pray that I can feel the spirit often as I read. So here we go!

1 Nephi 1!

As I read about Lehi’s visions, I was struck by his reaction to what he saw. The following verses explain his response as he reads a “book” that explains the destruction of Jerusalem, the city where he lives!

11 And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read.

12 And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord.

13 And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine abominations! Yea, and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem–that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be carried away captive into Babylon.

14 And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!

So Lehi just read about how his home town and the people in it would be destroyed for their wickedness… And his response was to praise God for his mercy?! I wish there were more details to this vision, but Lehi’s reaction helps me understand that God isn’t this angry, all-powerful, jealous God who destroys everyone who gets in his way. Christ (who I think is being referred to here as God) is reaching out to all of us, He forgives all who want to come to Him. He knows each of our circumstances and difficulties. He pleads our case and works with us to help us change and grow. Of course, not everyone is willing to take His help, but as Isaiah says repeatedly, “His hand is outstretched still.”

I definitely need Christ’s mercy in my life. I have needed it continuously in the past and I need it now, especially as I work to overcome imperfections, but fail OVER and OVER again. I am so incredibly grateful that Christ is merciful. He wants us to come to Him no matter how far off the path we’ve gotten and no matter how many times we’ve messed up. He gives us credit for trying and when we do all that we can, His grace makes it possible for us to grow.

Knowledge of the Atonement is the greatest blessing of my life. I think as Lehi saw this vision, he felt the same way.

“All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it; yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.”

Oh my word how I love this scripture. This has really hit me since becoming a mother. First as I watched my stomach grow bigger and felt something moving inside me; then as he came into the world as a perfect, individual soul with a look and spirit all his own; and now as he grows everyday and I see his personality shine through. It truly makes me want to shout this scripture!

There is a GOD! He knows who we are and He sent us here for a reason! It was not just by chance or accident, but as an opportunity for each of us. When I look at my baby it is undeniable!

24. That which is of God is light; and he that recieveth light, and continueth in God, recieveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

I am so in love with this scripture. I decided to ponderize it after I read The light of the Perfect Day by Elder Larry R. Lawrence (aka Lawrence Lawrence). He says that the objective of our lives is to gain light. “Our spirits grow brighter when we feed them light. As we continue to follow the light our Father sheds on us, we receive more light and we become more like Him.”

I don’t think judgement day is a terrible, gloomy day where we will be hoping and praying that we did enough to make it to heaven, only to find out that we came up short in a few areas, so we’re doomed to Hell forever!

I actually think it’s way more simple than that. I believe we will go where we feel worthy and that each person will be happy where they are, and, as Elder Lawrence says, “If we have accumulated enough celestial light in our spirits, we will be resurrected with celestial bodies.” So if we have worked to surround ourselves with good, increasing our light, and therefore increasing the spirit, it will be obvious and easy to know where we should be. We will be LIKE Christ, who is the LIGHT of the World.

Focusing on filling my life with light teaches me, again, how to measure the good, better, and best things in my life. What things are filling me with light and what are taking away that light? What things increase that light the most?- those are the things that should be the priority in my life.

Now I say this after a week of just being a plain old slacker, but today I will be taking the sacrament and vowing to do better! To mourn with those that mourn, to comfort those hat stand in need of comfort, to take upon me the name of Christ and to represent Him in all I do, and to do activities that help me to always remember Him. When I do things that increase the light in my life, I am coming one step closer to Christ and remembering Him.

I am so grateful for the Savior. I am grateful for His Atonement. He is behind everything good that I do or that has been done unto me. I am also grateful for His example so that I know what to strive for. ❤️

This chapter is really hitting me strongly this morning and I want to write some thoughts.

The heading for Mosiah 26 says, “Many members of the Church are led into sin by unbelievers.” Right when I read that I was confused… In the chapter before they were all getting baptized and were amazed by how God was able to deliver Alma and Limhi from the Lamanites. They heard the words of King Benjamin and Abinadi and were converted.

The last verse in chapter 25 says,

24 And they were called the people of God. And the Lord did pour out his Spirit upon them, and they were blessed, and prospered in the land.

Sounds like they were doing pretty good, so why the sudden change? Mosiah 26:1-3 explains it a little more.

1 Now it came to pass that there were many of the rising generation that could not understand the words of king Benjamin, being little children at the time he spake unto his people; and they did not believe the tradition of their fathers.

2 They did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead, neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ.

3 And now because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened.

Moroni 7: 16-18

16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.

18 And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.

A month or so ago, Joe and I were assigned to speak in church (p.s.- we spoke on a Sunday that it was -35 with windchill!! Major blessings for going to church that day.) on this scripture. I became OBSESSED with it, but after a few weeks forgot where it was in the scriptures. This made me so sad, so I decided to ponderize it. I am not memorizing the entire thing, but am memorizing the location, specific themes it mentions, AND my favorite phrases- they are just to good to simplify.Continue reading “Ponderizing: Moroni 7:16-18”→

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Hi! I’m Michele and he’s Joe!

#werebestfriendsweholdhands began as a funny line from a song, then turned into an awkward "almost I love you" moment, which turned into our hash tag for all our favorite pictures, then was used as our wedding day hash tag, then was infiltrated by an ugly hairless cat photo, and now is our blog name... Maybe we'll use it as the middle name of our first child next!
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